


The Last Great Adventure

by Goldy



Series: Unravelling [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-08 19:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1952784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldy/pseuds/Goldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Seems like the universe is making itself clear, innit? Crystal clear. Can have everything. Mum, Dad, a job… just can’t have you.</i> Reunion fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Great Adventure

She’s never felt him shake before.

Hundreds of hugs they’ve shared, thousands of small touches, and she can’t remember even so much as a tremor.

He pulls back, framing her face with both hands, eyes studying her face. She thinks she might be crying— _way to ruin it, Rose, smudging makeup all over the both of you_ —but his hands warm her cheeks, and it makes her smile.

“It’s really you.”

She laughs nervously. “It’s really me, yeah.”

“But… how…” he trails off, and can’t continue. “Rose.”

She nods, reaching out to smooth down his tie—but he hugs her again, lifting her feet off the ground, spinning her around.

***

“Mum, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been… keeping from you.”

Jackie’s tea cup slips from her fingers, shattering against the floor, spilling glass across the kitchen floor. A shard comes to rest at Rose’s foot, but she doesn’t move to pick it up. Her chest hitches imperceptibly, and Jackie covers her mouth with her hand.

“Mum—”

“You’re leaving,” Jackie says. “And don’t you lie. I can see it all over your face. Two years you went running off with that Doctor. Get this sort’a pinched look on your face when you’re planning on going back to him.”

“Nothing’s been right for me, Mum,” Rose says, staring down at her hands. “I know I got a good job, and I got you and Dad and the baby, but it’s like I wake up in the morning and it doesn’t mean nothing. It’s like that every day.”

Jackie’s sob is muffled by her hand. “The Doctor wanted you to have this, Rose. Said it was impossible for you to go back, sweetheart.”

“He’s been wrong before,” Rose whispers, wiping at her eyes. “I love you, Mum. All of you, I just don’t know anymore, I don’t know how to go about it without him. I think about him out there, on his own, going out to the stars, all those things he never got to show me… and I feel like I’m going mental.”

“I’ll never see you again, will I?” Jackie says. “If you leave, I’ll never see you again.”

Rose shakes her head, biting down on her bottom lip. “No, probably not, no.”

“It don’t make a lick of sense,” Jackie says, firing up. “He’s the one with the bleeding time machine. How’s it you’re the one who has to find the way back?”

 _Cause he’s not trying_ , Rose thinks, but it’s too painful to say that. Instead, she raises her chin, and levels her voice.

“It’s what I’ve been working on at Torchwood. The new file.”

“You said you were working on a force field,” Jackie says. “Never mentioned nothing about mucking about with universes. Think I would’ve remembered it if you had.”

Rose wipes her nose. “I’m sorry,” she says. She means it. God, she means it. “It was top secret…”

“From who? Us?” Jackie says, growing hysterical. “We’re your family, sweetheart. Don’t we get a say in whether you can leave us forever?”

“I’m sorry,” Rose says again. She doesn’t know what else to say.

***

He’s agitated, and Rose isn’t sure if he’s gonna yell at her or hug her again.

“You can’t just… you can’t _waltz_ through universes.” He pauses, breathing hard, staring at her like she’s a ghost. “The consequences could be catastrophic!”

“Oh, yeah? ‘Cause you’ve never said that sort of thing before!” Rose says. “And you’re always messing with the way of things, changing history, Doctor. And even if something _does_ go wrong, we’ll deal with it. We always did before.”

The Doctor screws up his face and shoves his hands in his pockets, looking like he wants to chuck her out a window. “You could undo it all, Rose. The Earth crawling with Cyberman and Daleks, driven half mad from being stuck in the void, all because you decided to go walkabout between dimensions!”

She takes a step back, hands clenching together in front of her. “I didn’t…” she pauses, gathering herself before trying again. “I thought you would be happy.”

He stops short, turning away from her, eyes focused somewhere on the distance. “That’s not the point.”

Rose tries again. “I thought you loved me.”

His jaw clenches. “What good will that do us if the world ends again? You think I could send you back again—”

“No, you couldn’t,” Rose says. “And I wouldn’t let you, either.”

He looks furious, and settles for kicking at the corner of the TARDIS before resting his forehead against the door and breathing hard.

“You know what your problem is?” Rose says, voice thick. “You’re scared. You’re a blinking coward, is what you are!”

He turns to look at her, anger momentarily turning to disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Rose says, drawing herself up to her full height. “Oh, you think you’re so brave, always running off saving the world, jumping through time. But when it comes to this? You can’t stand the thought of being with me, because it might mean you’ll have to watch me die. So instead you’ll go on alone or find yourself a different companion, just so you won’t have to deal with me leaving again!”

One of his hands hits the TARDIS door. “And is that so wrong? You try living for thousands of years, and then come and talk to me about what it’s like to lose everyone you’ve ever…”

“What?” Rose says. “I mean, you can’t even… you can’t even say it.”

“Rose—”

She backs away. “Forget it. I tossed my life aside for you, Doctor, cause I actually thought I had a shot at getting back to you. Obviously, never should have bothered.”

***

“You’re sure about this, yeah?”

Mickey sounds concerned, but he looks like he knows better than to try and stop her. Figured that lesson out the hard way, over and over again when it came to the Doctor.

“Yeah,” Rose says. “I really am. It’s what I’ve been working for.”

“And you’re not scared you’re gonna end up splinching yourself in half?”

“God, I’m petrified,” Rose says. They laugh, and she shakes her head. “I don’t know, Mickey. I’m not even certain I’ll end up in the right universe. And even I do, I won’t even begin to know how to go about finding him. He’s only one person. He’s not even human. It could all be for nothing, you know.”

Mickey drops a hand on her shoulder. “Then stay.”

She turns her head to look at him, lips curling into a smile. “Can’t. Gotta try, at least. Even if doesn’t work, I’ll have tried. If I gave up now… I’d go mad.”

“Blimey, what is it about him?” Mickey says. “Is it the name? _The Doctor_ … like he’s some sort of rock star. No wonder you get your knickers all twisted up over him.”

She gives him a small shove. “Shut up. That’s not even it, and you know it.” She pauses, eyes flitting around her small Torchwood office. “We just fit together, is all.”

***

She doesn’t get far before he catches up to her.

“Where are you going?”

“Dunno,” Rose says, not stopping. “That way.”

“Which way?”

Rose points in front of her. “That way. It’s as good as any.”

“Rose—” He grabs her arm and plants himself in her path. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Now I’m going this way,” Rose says, sidestepping him. “Sorry, Doctor. Don’t have all day for chit-chat. Got a life to start building for myself.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not fair,” the Doctor says. “Rose!” He catches up to her again, his sourly glower almost comical enough to make her laugh.

She folds her arms over her chest. “Fine. Make it quick, yeah?”

He gives a disbelieving snort, and scratches at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry.”

She raises her eyebrows. “That it?”

“Rose…” he pinches his nose. “You were gone. Humans aren’t supposed to come back from alternate dimensions.”

“I’m here now,” she whispers, blinking away tears. “I’m standing here in front of you. All you gotta do is reach out and touch me.”

He looks at her like he’s seeing her for the first time, eyes widening, one hand reaching out to touch her face. His fingers slide along her cheek and she closes her eyes, listening to his sharp intake of breath.

“Rose Tyler, you found your way all the way back here. Because of me.”

“Yeah,” Rose whispers. “Yeah, I did. That a problem for you, Doctor?”

His hand reaches the back of her neck, and he pulls her closer, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Never should’ve doubted you.”

“That’s right,” Rose says, poking at his shoulder. “So, how about it? You gonna let me back in the TARDIS? Give me my old room back?”

He doesn’t answer straight away, and Rose worries that maybe he really will chuck her, leave her stranded like he did his other companions.

“You left your Mum and Dad behind?” he finally says. “And Mickey?”

“Wasn’t really a life,” Rose says. “Didn’t feel like myself. Every day was the same thing. Getting up and going through the motions, staring at the stars and wondering if you were on any of them. Sometimes I even thought I could feel…” She clears her throat. “Thought about changing my name. Almost did, too.”

“To what?”

“Oh, god, it’s so embarrassing.” She hides her face against his shoulder, muffling her words. “Kiwi.”

He busts out laughing, and Rose grins into his jacket.

**

“And just how are you planning on finding him once you get back there?”

Rose winces from Jackie’s shrill tone and straightens her sweater, idly tugging at the zipper. “I’ll find a way.”

Jackie opens her mouth to protest, but shuts it again when Rose gives her a look.

“No guarantee this will work, Mum,” she says. “Could end up flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling.”

“I don’t believe that, sweetheart,” Jackie says. “Seems to me you’ve been planning this for a while now. Wanted to be certain you had it worked out, I expect.” She takes a breath, and plasters on a smile. “So how does it work?”

Rose relaxes, bolstered by her mother’s support. “Particle gun,” she says. “Separates the atoms of time.” Rose points to the wall of her office. “Should open a portal. Like a doorway—straight to another universe. Once I’m through, all the tiny particles’ll close back in on themselves, seal the wall behind me.” Rose touches the gun sitting on her desk. “That’s what I hope.”

Jackie’s face is pale, but she holds it together. “What if it goes wrong?”

“That won’t happen,” Rose says, sharply. She licks her lips. “Gotta believe it won’t, Mum. Got no other choice.”

Jackie enfolds her in a hug then, her face pressed against Rose’s hair. Her mother’s tears are warm against her neck, and Rose rubs a hand in circles on her back.

“It’ll be okay,” Rose whispers. “It’ll be okay, Mum.”

***

“Do you remember when I looked into the time vortex?” Rose says, stepping into the ship. For the first time in months? Years? She doesn’t even know how long his timeline has been. She feels like she’s seeing the TARDIS for the first time.

_(It’s bigger on the inside.)_

The Doctor moves to the console, and fiddles with the controls. “Yes.”

“Think it left something in me, inside of me,” Rose continues. “I didn’t have an elaborate plan, you know. Didn’t have the faintest idea how I’d even go about finding you after stepping through that fold.”

He almost hits his own fingers with the hammer. “You walked blindly through a temporal fold?!”

“Don’t start yelling again,” Rose warns. “I knew I was coming home. Can take care of myself, you know. Anyway—” She lets one hand linger on the TARDIS’s console. “She found me straightaway, Doctor. I think we’ve got a connection.”

He jerks his head around to look at her. “She doesn’t do that for just anyone, you know.”

“It must’ve taken you a few years off course.”

“Few hundred… thousand,” the Doctor says. “But who’s counting? Certainly not me.”

Rose glances idly around her. “So there’s no one else, yeah? You haven’t replaced me or nothing?”

He’s got his glasses on, and he bends down to sniff the controllers. “There was a bride. Very strange. Don’t much want to talk about it. And… others.”

“Others?” Rose says, trying to keep her tone light. “Other companions, you mean, people traveling with you?”

“Yeah, other companions, other people,” the Doctor says, sounding exasperated. He searches his pockets for his screwdriver. “Not replacing you, Rose. Never replacing you. Ahh. There it is.”

He pulls the screwdriver out of his corner pocket, and holds it up to the console, frown lines deepening his face.

“Doctor?” Rose says. “Is everything alright?”

He doesn’t answer right away. Slowly, he straightens, shoving the screwdriver back in his jacket. Rose knows something’s gone wrong.

He looks at her silently, and then steps forward, expression clearing. “If I recall correctly, there’s something I never quite got the chance to tell you.”

Rose blinks rapidly, leaning her weight on the console. “Think I already know.” She laughs nervously. “Hope so, at least. Don’t suppose you’re about to tell me I left a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, are you?”

“No, uh—” He tugs at his ear, and clears his throat. “Right. Well, then. No harm in saying it, is there?”

Rose licks her lips, standing up straighter. “Expect not,” she says. “So, c’mon, then, Doctor. No need to draw it out.”

“Rose Tyler—” He flashes a quick grin, seeming to enjoy making her swallow. “Rose, I love you.”

“Yeah, you do,” she says, pushing his arm. “Now, you gonna tell me what the trouble is? Or should we play a game of twenty questions?”

“Can’t fool you even a second,” he murmurs. He sighs and turns on the vidscreen.

Rose leans forward. “That’s the alley where I came through. We’ve got a base there—on the other universe. Torchwood does, that is.”

“Wait for it,” the Doctor says.

Rose moves closer until her nose presses up against the glass. The alley twitches—no, it’s more like a blur. Like parts of it are disappearing.

Rose jumps back. “What’s it doing that for?”

The Doctor draws a particularly pained breath. “I told you. It’s from jumping between two bleeding universes! You can’t _do_ that.”

“But…” Rose says. “But we’ve done it before!”

“And nearly brought about war on earth!” the Doctor says. “Rose, it won’t take them long. All those Cybermen, those Daleks, they’ll find a way out and BANG, right back where we started.”

“We fought them before,” Rose says.

“And we lost hundreds of people,” the Doctor says. “Entire families wiped out. And you—”

“So what are you saying?” Rose says. “Are you saying we should just ignore it? That…” she trails off, backing up and almost tripping, shaking her head. “No, you’re not saying what I think you are. You wouldn’t.”

He doesn’t look at her. “It’s the only way we can close it.”

“It’s not fair,” she says, wiping her nose. “I broke through _dimensions_ to get back here. You can’t ask me to go back. Can’t we catch us a break, Doctor? Just this once?”

“Rose—” he finally manages to latch onto an arm, and he pulls her closer. She goes, sniffling, pressing her face against the lapel of his jacket. “We could leave. We could take the TARDIS and disappear into time.”

“And still be back here to save the world,” Rose whispers.

He’s quiet, and Rose understands that he would do it, if she asked. That he’s finally had enough, and that he’d disappear into the vortex just to keep her with him a little longer.

“We never seem to get it right, though, do we, Doctor?” she says. “And who’s to say what the future will look like? If we don’t stop it, we could be flying straight into a trap, anyway.”

“Or I’m wrong,” the Doctor says. “And that thing you’ve opened—whatever it is, it’s just a glitch, and it’ll go away with hardly a whisper.”

She closes her eyes. “It’s never simple, is it?”

He’s completely still, but she can hear his two hearts under her ear— _thump, thump, thump_ —no, she’s come too far just to lose him now.

Suddenly determined, Rose pulls away. “There’s gotta be a way to close that rift.” She wanders around the TARDIS. “You’re driving an alien spacecraft, Doctor. Don’t you have some sort of a device for this sort of situation?”

“It’s just a time machine, Rose,” he says sadly. “Not a bandaid.”

“Well, you better think of something, Doctor,” she says. “Cause there’s no way I’m stepping back through that rift.”

***

“I’ve got to step back through that rift,” Rose says, banging her head against the TARDIS’ doors. “We’ve tried everything. And it’s getting worse. All the time.”

She waits for him to tell her not to give up.

He doesn’t.

Instead he moves by her, speculatively staring at the rift, gnawing on the tip of his screwdriver.

“We used to have rules for this sort of thing,” he finally says. “It didn’t matter how big the gap was. Now there’s just me.”

She moves to his side, fingers lacing through his. “I think you do okay, Doctor.”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

Rose sighs, eyes drawn back to the rift in dimensions. Mum would go mad to see her again. And she’d get the chance to watch her brother grow up. A final shot at having a real life.

“Seems like the universe is making itself clear, innit?” Rose says. “Crystal clear. Can have everything. Mum, Dad, a job… just can’t have you.”

The Doctor glances at the horizon, squinting from the sun. “We can still leave,” he says quietly. “Take off into the edges of space.”

“Is that what you want?” Rose says.

“I don’t know,” the Doctor says.

She turns around to look at him. “What about one adventure then, Doctor?” she says. “Just one more? We can do that, yeah? Come back in time to save the world?”

He looks at the rift, and then clears his throat. “Where do you want to go?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rose says. “Someplace new. Someplace… fantastic. Brilliant.”

He laughs, but it looks like it hurts him. He takes her arm in his and leads her back to the TARDIS, the rift crackling behind them.

“In the future, they have this planet, made entirely of lava.”

“Lava?” Rose says. “You mean, like fire?”

“That’s the stuff,” the Doctor says. “Hot there, too. Stuffy.”

She grins. “Might have to change my clothes, then. That where we going?”

“Oh, yeah,” he says. “They’ve got this entire city built underground. Can you imagine that? Under an ocean of lava. A _city_.”

“And you’ve been there before?” Rose says.

“Never in my life,” the Doctor says, opening the TARDIS door for her. She goes in first, turning to wait for him. “Might just be a myth.”

“Sounds like we ought’a check it out, then,” Rose whispers.

The Doctor shuts the door behind him, leaning back heavily. “The last great adventure.”

“Don’t think of it that way,” Rose says. “Think of it as… a second chance.” She swallows. “It’s all I thought about, lying in bed at night. If I could just have one more adventure with you, if I knew it was my last, then I could remember it. Then maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

“Right,” he says. He pushes himself forward, forcing cheer into his voice. “Bit of a rocky had ahead of us. Think you can handle it?”

She reaches out to grasp his hand. “Oh, yeah.”

***

It’s like dreaming.

Like her feet can’t touch the ground, like the world is soft, made up of pieces, of colours swirling and dancing. She reaches out to touch it, but her hand grasps empty space, and her mouth opens and closes soundlessly.

She can hear them watching behind her. Crying. Dad’s holding onto her Mum, and Mickey stands off a little ways, face frozen, like he’s thinking about the weather or chips or Christmas.

Rose smiles. Christmas.

She takes another step forward. It’s brighter than the last time, and not as quick. Light pricks her eyes, but she feels fine. Better than. She feels…

She takes a gasp of air, landing hard on solid earth, solid ground under her feet.

She’s not in her office anymore.

She bounces up and down, giggling, rubbing at the back of her neck. The sun’s brighter in this universe, and she smiles up at the sky, grinning when her view isn’t marred by hundreds of zeppelins.

She looks ahead of her and stills.

Silence.

It’s the shock. Or the disbelief. (How long has it been? Can it actually kill you, running into someone you thought was gone forever?)

The distance stretches out, and they go longer without moving, just holding each other’s eyes. It’s been too long since she’s seen him, and she presses her lips together, trying to nod, trying to tell him she’s really there.

_Run._

She does. Her meets her halfway, sweeping her up in a hug—and, oh, god, she swears she can feel him shake—and she’s laughing, crying so hard she can’t breathe.

She closes her eyes, because it’s like she told Mum. _It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay now._


End file.
